Going to Where the Work Happens: The Value of User Observations

At Logical Design Solutions, first-hand knowledge about the users of our solutions is an integral part of our process and methodology. Having users as part our design process supports the generation of new and innovative ideas. And observing users in their daily environment guides our design thinking and approach on how we cater our solution to their needs and work style – everywhere and anywhere.

The benefits of observing users in their environment

Observing users in their everyday environment provides opportunities to understand several factors that may not necessarily be recognized by the client business. Insights can provide more clarity about pain points, their specific contexts for use, missed opportunities, what they actually do and how they go about doing it – literally.

When we observe people, we can physically watch how they go about gathering information, how they perform a task or complete a process, what situations prompt them to engage their managers or when they interact with peers for additional help.

Being physically in the environment with users also provides situational and temporal information. We can observe the characteristics of their physical working environment:

Are they at their desk or on the go?

Do they have access to systems all day or need to use a shared computer within set timeframes?

How loud and chaotic is their environment and how often are they interrupted or distracted?

Additionally, user observation gives us the opportunity to ask why they do something in a particular way and better understand the scenario. Often these “in-context” conversations reveal rich details and offer users the opportunity to provide input into how the solution can make it easier for them in the future.

How this informs our solutions

Ultimately, the insight we gather from observations helps shape our solutions because it allows us to see things from the business consumer’s true perspective. It ensures that “user” is not an abstract idea and gives us empathy for the people who will use the solution. This empathy helps us define the relevant characteristics of a solution and the design principles that will guide our client work.